


7.5–10 MPa·m^1/2

by teeth_eater



Series: Rat's Skephalo Extravaganza [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Broken Bones, Canon-Typical Violence, Demon Badbodyhalo, Diamond Skeppy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sensory Deprivation, Shapeshifter skeppy, Shapeshifting, Size Difference, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-20 23:48:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30012858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeth_eater/pseuds/teeth_eater
Summary: Skeppy has two forms, one significantly weaker than the other. Though it can be...uncomfortable to hold one form for a long time, there is no way he's risking his safety when his life is tied to Bad's.Bad has some things to say about that.
Relationships: Skeppy/Badboyhalo
Series: Rat's Skephalo Extravaganza [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2212731
Comments: 31
Kudos: 275





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta reader @commieinnit!

Unlike most of the other servers Skeppy has lived on, Dream's SMP has a rather limited pool of fully human residents. Skeppy is not in that group, being gemfolk, though he does have a human form that he sometimes takes. 

In fact, he has to take it, despite it being physically weaker and more vulnerable than his diamond form, as he'll experience immense discomfort and eventually be forced into his human form against his will if he goes too long without shifting. It works the other way too, Skeppy is unable to stay in one form for too long. It's endlessly annoying. 

The only good thing about his human form is that it's significantly taller than his gem form, standing at around 6'2 where his gem form was 4'3, almost a full two feet shorter, something Bad teased him about endlessly. Skeppy teased him back with matching furiosisty, though it was for the demon's unusual height rather than lack thereof. Skeppy's best friend stretched up to a frankly ridiculous height of 9'6, and that's not even including the horns. He easily reached ten feet if you counted the extra keratinous appendages, but Skeppy often didn't for the sake of teasing his friend. 

Speaking of Bad, he is the reason he hadn't taken his human form in several months. Well- that wasn't quite fair. Skeppy is sure that Bad would give him such a look if he found out that Skeppy is a shifter and had been staying in one form for this long. As it were, Bad has no idea of Skeppy's status as a shifter, and Skeppy is eager to keep it that way. It's not that he doesn't trust Bad, it's just that his human form is much, much more likely to be killed than his gem one, considering the presence of soft flesh and easily pericered skin. No, Skeppy is much safer in this smaller, sturdier, and most importantly tougher body. Especially now. 

When Bad had nervously proposed the idea of binding their souls Skeppy had been ecstatic at the idea. A way for Bad to stay in the Overworld rather than have Skeppy make the uncomfortable and somewhat dangerous trip to the Nether every time he wanted to visit his friend. It seemed perfect if Skeppy had just considered one variable. If he died, it wouldn't just affect his heart count, but Bad's as well. That had been explained to him, of course, but it hadn't really hit him until days later when the high of being trusted so completely had worn off. 

Once Bad officially moved to the Overworld and the two of them stumbled through the ceremony that would bind their souls for good, Skeppy made up his mind. 

He couldn't shift into his human form anymore. 

Sure it wasn't exactly... healthy for him, but it was better than the alternative. His life is infinitely more precious now that it's tied with Bad's. 

Of course, some short spurts of time when he is absolutely unable to hold his gem form are unavoidable, but he had only shifted three times in the past year, and even then only for a few minutes when the pain became too much to bear. Despite the circumstances, Skeppy is proud of himself. He would do anything to protect Bad, even at the expense of his own health. 

All of these factors have led to his current activity- lying face down on his bed and holding back groans of pain. 

He was doing perfectly fine on his own before Bad burst into his room (without knocking might he add) and insisted that the two of them go on a hike to the jungle to tame more parrots. Skeppy's immediate reaction is to decline, but he's quickly swayed by Bad giving him puppy dog eyes. How he does it without actually having pupils or irises Skeppy has no idea, and he doesn't really care to ask. 

So here they are, all packed up for a day-long voyage and standing at the mouth of the woods that leads to the jungle. 

Skeppy's entire body thrums with pain, but he does his best to ignore it. He knows he's moving a little stiffly, but if Bad mentions it then he's just going to say that he slept wrong.  
"You're sure we can't ride horseback?" Skeppy asks, gripping the straps of his bag a bit tighter. Bad chuckles fondly.  
"We haven't gotten a horse since the last time you asked." Bad quips back and Skeppy worries his lip with his teeth as he thinks. It's not like he can actually break the skin, he thinks rather resentfully.  
"We could always steal from Techno," Skeppy suggests and Bad snorts.  
"The walk to his house would be longer than the walk to the jungle," Bad says, and fuck- he's right isn't he? 

"I could always carry you," Bad offers teasingly. Skeppy knows he's joking, but he pauses to consider it anyway. He can probably get Bad to carry him if he annoys him enough and plays it off as a joke. As demeaning as being carried is, he would much prefer being slung over his friend's shoulder (and perhaps getting a short nap in) to walking all the way out to the jungle with his entire body aching. Especially now that his legs are shaking slightly.

He's too tired to bother the demon into hoisting him up, though, and so just walks alongside Bad silently, all his focus funneled into not falling over and getting covered in poison ivy. He doesn't notice the concerned looks that Bad is shooting his way every few seconds. 

"-you okay?" Bad says, though Skeppy only catches half of his sentence, he can pretty easily infer what his friend is asking despite his swimming head. He nods tiredly, smiling lopsidedly at the demon.  
"I'm right as rain, Mr. Halo," Skeppy says. Bad eyes him suspiciously and Skeppy curses himself internally. Of course Bad wouldn't be swayed by some funny phrases and friendly nicknames. This is Bad he's talking about, the most observant person on the entire SMP. 

Skeppy laughs nervously under Bad's scrutinizing glare. Bad hums suspiciously, but turns away.  
"Alright... if you say so." Bad says, and though he is clearly not convinced, Skeppy sinks in relief now that the demon's direct attention is directed away from him, though he has a sinking feeling that the conversation is far from over.

They walk for several hours, and with each inch that sun descends into the treeline Skeppy can feel his body coming closer and closer to shutting down completely.

He's given up on his usual banter a while ago, too tired and achy to care that he's worrying Bad, who has been watching him unabashedly since he had fallen silent. 

By the time they reach the jungle, the sun is more than halfway gone, casting a golden glow over the forest. If Skeppy didn't feel like his legs were about to collapse underneath him, he thinks it might be very beautiful. 

"Well," Bad says after clearing his throat, making Skeppy jump slightly in surprise at the sudden noise after hearing nothing but birdsong for so long. "We'd better find shelter before the mobs start spawning." 

Skeppy's shoulders sink in relief. Bad, to his credit, pretends not to notice the gemfolk's obvious relief at the idea of taking a break. 

________________

Unfortunately for them, shelter is hard to find in the jungle. With the thick trees, vines, and bushes blocking everything from view and tripping Skeppy every other step, finding something suitable is going to be much more difficult than either of them anticipated. 

The sun goes down completely before they manage to find a place to hole up, and with the darkness comes mobs. It's not as if the two of them are unarmed or ill-prepared, but when a skeleton fires an arrow from the shadows there isn't much to be done about it.

Skeppy sees it before Bad does, an arrow aiming directly for his friend's knee nocked in a skeleton's bow. Scenarios flash through Skeppy's head- having to find a way to carry Bad back home by himself, the wound getting infected, Bad dying. He doesn't need to consider any more options. He leaps in front of Bad. 

The arrow hits him in the chest, which would be devastating for anyone else, but he is completely unharmed thanks to his diamond exterior. Bad growls lowly in his chest and lunges for the skeleton that had shot him, dispatching the creature in a few quick swipes. 

The demon turns and heads back to Skeppy, white eyes easily visible in the dim light despite the rest of him blending into shadow.  
"Thanks," Bad mutters, bumping his forehead with his chin affectionately. Skeppy nods, too worn out to speak. Bad frowns and lashes his tail at his lack of a response, but stands tall again, continuing his search for shelter. 

___________________________

It takes another twenty minutes of wandering before Bad spots a small cave that looks to be clear of any hostile mobs, and the two of them clamber inside. Bad places down a few torches on the walls before blocking off the entrance and sitting down heavily. 

Skeppy sits down stiffly, hissing through his teeth a bit as he lowers himself down. When he looks up Bad is frowning at him, his eyes sharp and focused.  
"What?" Skeppy asks, voice slightly hoarse from not speaking for most of the day.  
"What's wrong? You're not acting like yourself." Bad asks, leaning forward with his large, clawed hands on his knees.  
"Nothing, Bad. I didn't sleep well-" Skeppy starts before being cut off.  
"Skeppy, seriously, if you're sick-"  
"Bad!" Skeppy shouts, unfamiliar anger filling his tone. "Please! Nothing's wrong, just- just let me have a second." 

Bad blinks at him, white eyes wide in the dim light of the cave.  
"Okay," He says quietly, confusion heavier in his voice than anger or hurt. Skeppy takes a deep breath, the rising and lowering of his shoulders aggravating the spasming muscles in his back.  
"I'm sorry, Bad." Skeppy says. The worry on Bad's face only seems to grow at his quiet apology. If Skeppy was in any sort of humorous mood, he would have found it funny that his apologizing worries Bad, but he can't laugh right now. "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just-" Skeppy takes a breath, trying to stall for time as he figures out how to word this. 

"My back hurts." He finishes lamely.  
"...Your back hurts?" Bad asks, disbelief thick in his voice. "Were you injured? I thought nothing could break diamond?" Skeppy laughs dryly.  
"No, I wasn't hurt. It's just muscle stuff." He explains briefly, putting his head down on his knees. Bad tilts his head.  
"Do you want me to rub your back?" Bad offers, head tilted. Skeppy considers his options briefly. He honestly doesn't think a back massage is going to do any good, but it's not like it could get much worse at this point. He nods, wincing at the pain in his neck as he does so. 

Bad scoots across the cave as soon as he gets permission, head ducked low to keep his horns from scraping across the low ceiling of the cave. Once he's maneuvered himself so that he's sitting behind Skeppy, he puts his hands on his back. Skeppy chuckles to himself when he sees his friend's tongue sticking out in focus at hitting the right spots. One of the demon's hands could probably cover most of his back, so a back rub has to be pretty precise. 

Bad pushes the pad of his finger into a particularly tender spot behind his shoulder blade, and Skeppy bites back a sob. He can't hold in a full body flinch, however; and Bad tears his hands away as though Skeppy's skin had burned him.  
"Are you alright?" Bad asks for what seems like the millionth time that night. Skeppy nods, teeth clenched, and waves a hand in a vague motion for his friend to keep going. 

Bad complies, however hesitantly, but Skeppy can only handle a few more seconds of gentle prodding before he stuffs his knuckles into his mouth to stifle a scream. Skeppy slumps to the ground once the wave of pain has faded somewhat, panting hoarsely, his fingers tangled in the loose fabric of his hoodie. 

Bad flitters somewhere above him, terrified expression barely processed by Skeppy's pain-addled brain. Bad grabs his hand, and despite the jolt of agony that comes with the movement, Skeppy is grateful for the touch. He feels like if he doesn't have anything to ground him right now he's going to detach from his body and float away into the stratosphere. 

"Skeppy," Bad says desperately, and Skeppy feels a rush of guilt when he hears tears in the demon's voice. "Please. You have to tell me what's wrong! I can't help you if you wont tell me why you're hurting!" 

Skeppy wants to answer. He's gone far too long without telling his best friend, and it's not like he doesn't trust Bad, he just knows that his friend will strongarm him into a human form more than he'd like if he knew. Skeppy may be reckless at times, but his days of gambling his safety away were dust in the wind the moment Bad stepped foot onto the cool grass of the overworld. 

But he's hurting Bad now, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it. The demon is panicking and muttering hushed prayers in galactic under his breath and doing strange motions with the hand not clinging to Skeppy's, something that Skeppy recognizes as gestures of praise that were common in the Nether. 

He needs to tell Bad what's going on. He's going to be mad, but him being angry with Skeppy would be endlessly better than seeing him terrified. Skeppy squeezes Bad's hand with all the strength he has left, which, admittedly, isn't much, and Bad's head snaps up to look at him, glowing white tears gathering in his wide eyes and trailing down his face.  
"Are you with me? Tell me what hurts!" Bad says frantically. Skeppy opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a heaving sob. Bad's expression seems to shatter further, if that's even possible. 

____________________

Bad squeezes his friend's hand tighter, not worried about crushing the fragile bones inside as he would be with one of their human friends. He watches as Skeppy slips in and out of consciousness, torturously delirious.  
"Skeppy, please-" He mutters, pulling the smaller man's hand close to his chest.  
"I can't- fuck, I can't do it." Skeppy says, voice cracking in a million places and his eyes wild and fearful. It speaks to the severity of the situation that Bad doesn't even reprimand him for his language.  
"Can’t do what, Skeppy?" Bad asks, trying to inject as much patience and calm as possible into his voice. Whatever is wrong with his friend, the last thing he needs is to hear Bad freaking out over his condition.  
"I cant hold- hold this form." Skeppy gasps out, and Bad freezes. 

Skeppy is a shifter. Huh. That’s news to him.

Bad shakes his head, swallowing down the guilt that threatens to rise up from him not knowing such monumental information about his friend.  
"Okay, it's okay." Bad says, running a hand over Skeppy's head. He hopes it's comforting, because he doesn't know what else to do but soothe right now. "You can let go, you don't need to hold this form." Bad mutters, the way one may speak to a wounded animal.  
"No, no-'' Skeppy whines, pulling Bad closer to himself. Skeppy couldn't move Bad if given a million years right now, but Bad allows himself to be guided by the younger man anyway. "I can't- my other form it's- hah, it's weaker than- than this one," Skeppy says between pants of breath. Bad gets a sinking feeling in his stomach. "I'm not- I can't risk it. Not when-not when it's both of- both of us." 

Bad can feel tears dripping down his face, but he makes no move to wipe them away.  
"Skeppy," Bad says, heartbroken. "Skeppy you can't do this to yourself."  
"It's for you," Skeppy breathes out, shifting slightly.  
"I don't want you to do this. You're killing yourself." Bad mutters, wiping a tear off his friend's face. Skeppy shakes his head weakly.  
"Won't die. Checked." 

Bad buries his face in his hands miserably, and Skeppy seems to sense that he's made a mistake, because he makes no quip to lighten Bad's spirits. Or maybe he's just too tired to speak.  
"Skeppy. Shift." Bad says, trying to force as much assertiveness into his voice as he can. Skeppy shakes his head, but before he can finish the motion Bad grabs him by the shoulder, careful not to squeeze too hard and cause his friend further pain. 

"Skeppy." Bad says, staring into Skeppy's glazed over eyes. "Shift. Back. Now." Skeppy hesitates, but hope rises in Bad's chest anyway. It's better than flat out refusing.  
"You'll have to protec-protect me if I do," Skeppy mutters, shame coating his voice. "I didn't ever learn to defend myself in my other-my other form. There was no need." 

Bad laughs tearfully and presses a kiss to Skeppy's feverish forehead.  
"Of course I'll protect you," The demon mutters. "Of course. Every single time. You don't even need to ask." 

Skeppy stares at him for a moment, something unreadable written on his face, and then he leans back, and his face relaxes. Bad blinks in surprise at the sudden change from the tension the gemfolk had been carrying the entire day, but is quickly distracted when the cold, diamond hand he had been holding slowly begins to soften and elongate. 

Bad jumps and loosens his grip on the hand, lifting the hand to his face and watching with unmasked awe as his friend's hand lengthens and changes color. Bad lifts his attention to the rest of his friend, watching the slow change with the sort of reverence one usually reserves for cathedrals. 

Skeppy's body lengthens out until the clothes that Bad always thought were strangely oversized on him fit him perfectly. Dark hair appears, and Bad has the ridiculous urge to run his fingers through it. His face changes into somthing unfamiliar, but still undeniably him.

The transformation takes forty seconds at most, and when it is over, lying in Skeppy's place is a man with dark hair, slowly waking up. 

Skeppy opens his eyes, now no longer emotionless black dots, now dark, narrow eyes pinched with pain. He smiles at Bad, and the demon frowns when he sees blood on his friend's teeth from when he had bit his tongue screaming. Not blue and bioluminescent like Skeppy's gem form, but red. Human's blood. 

"You're staring," Skeppy says finally, a teasing lilt to his voice, and Bad jumps up flushes, though it's invisible against his dark skin.  
"Shut up, no I'm not." Bad mutters, crossing his arms, though secretly he is beyond relieved that his friend is feeling good enough to make fun of him again.  
"So," Skeppy says, sitting up against the cave wall and stretching out his arms to show off his new form. "What do you think?" 

Despite his friend's exuberance, Bad can tell when he's nervous, and right now he fits the bill perfectly. There are a hundred things Bad can say to defuse the tension and smooth over the sharp edges of the things that have been dug up today, but instead, he says the first thing that comes to his head. 

"You're really pretty." 

Skeppy blinks at him, arms lowering a bit, looking dumbfounded. Bad flushes brighter, and now he's sure his white blood is showing through his skin a bit.  
"Ah! I mean- I meant- Your other form is pretty too, of course, it's just-" 

Bad is cut off from his nervous rambling by Skeppy's laughter. Not as bright or uproarious as it usually would be, but considering the day he's had, Bad thinks that's perfectly excusable. Bad scoots up next to his friend, reaching his hands out in an invitation for Skeppy to crawl into his lap so he isn't lying on the floor. Skeppy twitches upwards but hisses in pain and slumps back down.  
"I don't think I'm gonna be moving for a while, dude," Skeppy says with a humorless chuckle. Bad chitters lowly in his throat, worry for his friend swelling in his chest. 

The demon scoops the now-human into his arms and sets him on his lap. Skeppy relaxes into the hold immediately, a sigh leaving his mouth the moment he lies down again.  
"Thanks." Skeppy mutters, too tired to be sarcastic. Bad hums quietly, adjusting his hold to accommodate for his friend's added height. 

They sit like that for a while, pressed up against each other, Skeppy still trembling slightly from the pain of shifting after staying in one form for so long.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Bad says finally, hushed, as though afraid of breaking the silence. Skeppy doesn't answer for a few seconds, and Bad thinks his friend has fallen asleep, but then he speaks, voice weak.  
"Bad... It's- it's hard to explain. I'm too tired right now, can we talk about it in the morning?" 

Bad sighs, his hot breath ruffling Skeppy's black hair.  
"Okay." Bad says softly. Skeppy tilts his head back to look the demon in the eyes.  
"You have to promise to protect me while I sleep, okay?" Skeppy says, uncharacteristically nervous. Bad blinks in surprise.  
"Of course. You can sleep, Skeppy. I won't let anything happen to you." 

Skeppy holds his gaze for a few more seconds, and then the corners of his mouth twitches up.  
"I love you." He says finally. Bad smiles. Whatever reason Skeppy had for not telling him that he was a shifter can be dealt with in the morning.  
"I love you too." Bad says back, tightening his hold on the human, careful not to put too much pressure on him. He's going to have to be very conscious of how much strength he uses until Skeppy shifts back. 

Skeppy lets his head fall forward to bump gently against Bad's chest. Bad brings up a hand and hesitates for a moment before gently running his claws down the younger man's back. Skeppy relaxes further, which Bad takes as a win. 

It barely takes a minute for Skeppy's breathing to even out into quiet snores, and Bad maneuvers him into a more comfortable position, moving slowly so as not to wake his friend up. He is perhaps being a bit more gentle than is strictly necessary, but he thinks he is permitted to be a touch overprotective right now. He barely ever handles humans bodily like this, and when he does they're wearing armor. Right now, the most important person in the world to him is completely defenseless and putting all his trust in Bad to keep him safe. He would rather die than hurt Skeppy right now, especially since Skeppy was apparently too scared to tell him about his other form. He needs to prove that he is worthy of that trust. 

He doesn't blame Skeppy for not telling him. It's no secret that Bad is one of the strongest people on the Dream SMP, having to constantly monitor his strength when messing around with other members of the SMP. A pat on the back when he isn't paying attention could be devastating for someone like Quackity or Puffy. 

It's one of the many reasons that Skeppy and Bad's friendship just works. Skeppy is unbreakable, for lack of a better term, and he can take lighthearted punches when Bad isn't focused on being gentle. Bad is able to relax around him without fear of hurting his friend, something he isn't able to do with anyone else. 

Skeppy deserves to be vulnerable too, though. Bad is able to be himself around Skeppy, and Bad wants Skeppy to trust him enough to be himself around Bad. Both versions of himself. He has to prove that he is able to protect Skeppy in both forms. The demon doesn't want to think about what may happen to Skeppy's health if he continues to hold one form for this long again. Protecting his friend tonight is vital. 

With his determination sparked, Bad turns his attention to the young man lying limply in his arms. Bad shuffles down the wall so that Skeppy is able to lie flat on his chest rather than sleep sitting up and getting a crick in his neck. His friend has been in enough pain already. Once the two of them are in a comfortable position, Bad takes the time to watch Skeppy's face. It's relaxed in a way it never is in his gem form. Even sleeping, Skeppy always looked slightly tense, though Bad supposes he knows the reason for that now.

Bad traces a claw along Skeppy's cheekbone, marveling at how different his friend looks now. If he passed him on the street he wouldn't think twice, but now that he knows it's his friend it's undeniable. 

He was right before, though he may have spoken without thinking. This form is really pretty. Skeppy's gem form is pretty too, of course, but there is something more alive about his human form. He looks unguarded and alive. Bad touches his hair, and giggles softly to himself when he realizes it's just as fluffy as it looks. 

Skeppy mumbles something indecipherable in his sleep, shifting a bit, and Bad pulls his hand away from where it had been messing with Skeppy's hair, slightly guilty about almost waking up the younger man. Prime knows he needs as much sleep as he can get right now. 

Bad settles back, the person in his arms both alien and as familiar as his own soul. Skeppy is warm in a way he never was in his other form, though still not as warm as Bad, something Skeppy bragged about endlessly; that his best friend was a walking heated blanket. Hopefully that warmth will keep Skeppy asleep for now. 

Bad winces as he hears a zombie pounding on the stone used to block off the entrance to the cave, his tail curling protectively around Skeppy without his knowledge. 

Looks like he isn't going to be sleeping tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always to my beta reader @commieinnit
> 
> Warnings:  
> -violence towards monsters  
> -blood  
> -breaking bones  
> -minor non-sexual sensory depraivation

Bad spends a majority of the night watching Skeppy sleep, which he knows  _ sounds _ creepy, but he thinks he's earned a pass considering he's never seen Skeppy in this form before. 

He stares at Skeppy's sleeping face until the sun rises and the mobs start to shriek in pain outside, mapping every part of his friend's new form. Knowing Skeppy, it may be a while before he'll be able to convince him to shift back into a human shape. 

Skeppy doesn't wake until late morning, somewhere around ten, if Bad had to wager a guess. The man stretches out with a yawn, blinking tiredly at Bad. When Skeppy seems to wake a little more, fondness fills his gaze and something bright sparks in Bad's chest at the thought that the expression is for him. 

Skeppy's expression turns from peaceful love to shock when he catches sight of his hands, still warm and long and  _ human _ . His hands shoot up to cover his face, and the younger man turns away from Bad. 

"Oh, shi- _don't_ _look_ ," Skeppy says frantically, and Bad closes his eyes obediently, despite the fact that he had been watching Skeppy's face the entire night. Bad giggles at his friend's panic, but his amusement stops short when he feels Skeppy start to shift back to his gem form. Bad's eyes snap open and he grabs his friend around the middle, causing him to let out an aborted gasp. 

" _ Careful _ , Bad!" Skeppy breathes. "Claws!" Bad loosens his hold immediately but doesn't let go of his friend, who had halted his transformation at the interruption. 

"Skeppy,  _ no _ . You  _ cannot _ transform back right now, you're going to undo any progress you made by sleeping. Don't think I don't know how shapeshifting works, young man." 

"I'm literally only like a few years younger than you," Skeppy grumbles as Bad sets him down again, not trying to return to his gem form. Bad doesn't argue, instead only yawns and attempts to stand before bumping his head on the low stone ceilings of the cave. He rubs his head and frowns before making his way to the mouth of the cave. Skeppy follows him. 

"We're gonna have to head home today," Bad says as he moves cobblestone from the entrance to the cave. Skeppy startles. 

"What? There's no way I can walk back without dying in this form." Skeppy argues, gesturing to himself, all gentle edges and soft cloth. Bad turns to him, hesitating in his efforts to take down the makeshift wall. 

"Skeppy," He says, eyes soft. "I promised I would protect you, remember?" 

Skeppy crosses his arm, scuffing at the dirt floor of the cave. 

"Yeah...but that was in a closed-off cave. Out there's- there's like mobs and stuff. That is  _ not _ something I want to mess with." Skeppy looks up from where he had been staring at a bug on the floor when Bad grabs him by the shoulders and draws his gaze upwards. 

"Skeppy. I am going to protect you." Bad says firmly, and Skeppy hears the unspoken promise in his voice. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you when I'm around." 

Skeppy smiles slightly. Bad  _ has _ never been one to break a promise. 

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Lead the way, tough guy." Skeppy says, following his friend into the blinding sunlight of the jungle as the last of the cobblestone is cleared away by Bad's deft hands. 

_________________

Being in his gem form, Skeppy decides, is a lot like being in a box. 

There are air holes, the light gets in, and he certainly has enough to get by, but it's not comfortable by any means. It's a trade he's willing to make in exchange for his safety, and by extension, Bad's. 

Now, out of the box, he feels free. 

He doesn't have to hold onto Bad's tail when it's dark or too bright so he can be led around, he can see perfectly fine in the bright light of the jungle. The stiffness that seemed to constantly permeate his limbs was gone, his vision is clear and he can finally  _ breathe _ . 

His heart twinges when he remembers that this isn't going to last. As soon as he is able, he's going to have to force himself back into that box again, for Prime knows how long. 

Skeppy watches Bad pack up the remains of their measly camp, love offsetting the terror at the idea of being trapped in his too-small body once again. He would do it for a million years if it meant keeping Bad safe. 

Bad turns to him, smiling, unaware of the smaller man's internal conflict. 

"You ready to go?" Bad asks, bumping their shoulders together gently. Skeppy nods, eager to leave behind the cave where he had spent most of the night in immense pain. 

"You know it," Skeppy replies, and Bad hums thoughtfully, looking him up and down. 

"You know, I bet I could carry you home if I made a baby sling," Bad says, and Skeppy whips around to stare at him incredulously. 

"What- why would you-" Skeppy sputters, red-faced, before catching the teasing lilt to his friend's voice. His face flushes deeper, if possible, and he punches Bad's arm in retaliation for his embarrassment. 

"Oh shut up," Skeppy mutters, hiding his face in his hoodie sleeves. Bad cackles uproariously, only spurred on further by Skeppy's vicious glare in his direction. 

"Okay fine," Bad says finally after he has managed to calm his laughter enough to speak. "If you don't want to listen to my  _ great _ idea then you can walk. Just stay in front of me so I can keep an eye on you."

Skeppy scoffs, but does as the demon asks, striding in front of his friend, only tripping over himself a couple of times, still unused to walking in this form. 

"Yeah right, you only want me to walk in front of you so you can stare at my-" Skeppy is cut off by a low growl from Bad, and he giggles nervously as Bad glances around for something to throw at him. Bad's attention lands on a fallen cocoa bean and he smiles, only furthering Skeppy's dread. 

Bad lobs the plant at him, and though Skeppy manages to duck and avoid having it hit him in the face, it did make contact with his shoulder. Skeppy collapses to the ground, holding his shoulder going limp. The key to a good prank is to react quickly, after all. 

There is silence for a moment after Skeppy doesn’t throw anything back at the demon, and then Bad scoffs. 

"Oh, come on. You would not be knocked out by a _cocoa_ _bean_ of all things." 

Skeppy listens as Bad's loping steps slowly move closer. 

"Skeppy?" Bad asks, poking him with a claw. "Get up, stop messing around, we need to get home." Suspicion is being replaced with slight worry, now's his time to strike. "Skeppy c'mon, you can't trick me. It literally wasn't even near your head." 

Skeppy lunges upwards, cocoa bean in hand, and smushes it on top of Bad's head. Bad shrieks and flails backward at Skeppy's sudden movement, falling onto his back. Skeppy sits on his chest, cackling victoriously. 

" _ That _ was for the baby sling!" Skeppy says finally, putting a finger on Bad's nose, or at least where his nose would be if he had a traditional face. 

Bad pulls Skeppy off of him and wipes the goop from the bean off of his face. He glares at Skeppy, but there's no heat behind it. 

"'Geppy," He sighs. "Don't  _ do _ that, I thought I hurt you somehow." Skeppy sits beside him, laughing a bit. 

"C'mon Bad, dont be dumb. I know I said this form was weak but it hit me in the shoulder." Skeppy says, standing up to help his friend get some of the more stubborn goop out of his short hair. 

"I know," Bad huffs, lowering his head to give Skeppy better access. "I just promised that I wouldn't let anything hurt you, and you know I dont break promises." 

Skeppy hums in agreement, brushing off his hands and pulling Bad to his feet to signal that he is done cleaning off the remnants of his prank. 

"Thanks," Bad says softly. Skeppy smiles. 

"Yeah, no way was I leaving that in there," Skeppy says, trying to feign nonchalance and cursing how much harder it was to hide expressions in this form. "If I left it you would have had to hog the shower all day, anyway." 

_______________

They manage to walk for a while without incident, save for the occasional creeper or undead mob that managed to get a helmet, both of which are quickly dispatched by Bad. 

Skeppy finds himself getting distracted by the world around him, which isn't...uncommon. Bad often said that he had the attention span of a goldfish, which may be true, but now there is so much more to experience. 

He can smell the leaves, and feel the sun on his face. He hears the birds much further away than he had before, and feels the slight warmth radiating from where Bad follows him. He focuses on these sensations for most of the walk, just breathing and taking in the way nature feels when his senses are not muted by his natural armor. 

Bad seems to take his silence for him being upset or in pain, which isn't a wild leap to make considering the state that he was in yesterday. 

"Are you okay?" Bad asks eventually, though not after staring holes into Skeppy's back for what feels like fifteen minutes. Skeppy jumps at the sudden noise, and turns to look at his friend, walking backward so he can face the demon and move at the same time. 

"I'm perfect. Why?" Skeppy says, ignoring the exasperated look Bad gives him at his backward-walking. 

"You’re being really quiet," Bad says, cocking his head suspiciously. Skeppy scoffs in mock offense, crossing his arms. 

"Oh wow, you think I can only be quiet when I'm hurting. Some friend you are." Skeppy says, pointing his nose in the air haughtily and turning back around to face the woods. 

Bad snakes up beside him, hands clasped together. 

"Nooooo, 'Geppy! That's not what I meant at  _ alllll _ ! I like it when you talk, it's just that yesterday you were really quiet and you ended up being hurt!" Bad pleads, pouting at him. Skeppy lets his shoulders drop and he rolls his eyes. 

"I'm just messing with you Bad," Skeppy says, putting a hand on his friend's head. Bad seems satisfied and stands to his full height, once again letting Skeppy take the lead. "My joints are still bothering me, but they’re not that bad." Skeppy admits. 

"Why are you so quiet then?" Bad asks, narrowing his white eyes suspiciously. Skeppy shrugs. 

"Just taking in the scenery." He answers, truthfulness surprising even himself. Bad seems a bit taken aback too, though suspicion doesn't fully leave his face. 

"Alright..." He says, dropping back to walk behind Skeppy once again. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you, mister." 

Skeppy huffs in laughter and returns his attention to the woods around him. 

"It's just so much… more. Without everything being filtered through all that armor." Skeppy says, not seeing the understanding bloom across Bad's face. 

"Ooohh," Bad hums thoughtfully. "Your senses get muted when you're in your other form?" He asks, delicately tapping a claw to his chin. Skeppy nods, closing his eyes languidly. 

"It's not overwhelming, is it?" Bad asks, concern flickering in his eyes once again. Skeppy tries not to smile at his friend's mother-henning, feigning an annoyed huff.

"No,  _ mom _ . I'm perfectly fine." Skeppy reaches out to touch a smooth leaf, marveling at the texture of it under his hand. Bad's eyes never leave his back. "It's not like I couldn't feel at  _ all _ in my other form," Skeppy clarifies. "I wasn't like, in a deprivation tank or anything like that. It was more like..." Skeppy pauses, searching for the right words. Bad lets him. "It was like wearing a veil. I  _ could _ feel, touch, and smell and stuff, it just was less... intense." 

Bad seems to understand, worry flickering out, which causes Skeppy's shoulders to relax. As much as both of their safeties require Bad to be on high alert right now, he doesn't want to worry his friend over something stupid. 

They walk silently for a while longer after that, Bad apparently content to let Skeppy experience the jungle for what felt like the first time. Skeppy is having a great time staring open-mouthed at the way the clouds move across the sky when he is jerked upwards by his hood. 

His hands shoot to his throat automatically, pulling the fabric away from the neck to stop it from completely choking him, feet kicking out weakly at his attacker. Distantly, he hears a horrified noise, and then he is set back down on his feet. He collapses to the ground instantly, still trying to catch his breath. Though, admittedly, it's more from shock than being choked. 

When the black spots clear from his vision, Bad is in his face, waving a large hand in front of his eyes, looking like the picture of misery. 

"What grabbed me?" Skeppy says finally, thankfully only sounding a little raspy. Bad's frown deepens, guilt filling his gaze. 

"Skeppy, I am  _ so _ sorry. You were about to step into a thorn bush, I was so used to being able to pick you up by the hood..." Skeppy decides to cut into Bad's sentence before the demon manages to convince himself that Skeppy is  _ actually _ pissed off. 

"Bad. Calm down." Skeppy says, putting a hand on his friend's. Bad pauses in his blubbering to look at the younger man. "It's okay. It was more surprising than painful, I promise." Bad sniffles once more, but nods his head. 

The demon stands and pulls Skeppy to his feet, hovering around him a bit in case Skeppy decides to randomly drop dead. Once Skeppy has managed to push him away, and the rasp in his voice is completely gone, the dark-haired man speaks. 

"Alright, I can’t walk through an entire jungle barefoot," Skeppy says, and Bad nods in agreement. 

"There might be some skeletons or zombies that are hanging around in the shade. They could have boots on." Bad suggests thoughtfully. Skeppy snaps his fingers with a smile, pointing at his friend. 

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around," Skeppy says. Bad rolls his eyes and crosses his long arms over his chest. 

"Oh please, I keep  _ you _ around!" Bad shoots back, leaning forward. 

"Oh wait..." Skeppy says, feigning thoughtfulness. "Which one of us wanted us to _bind_ _our_ _souls_ together?" 

Skeppy cackles at the sight of Bad's hands twitching at his side. If Skeppy were in his other, stronger form then Bad would have no hesitation with tackling him to the ground, but right now there is no guarantee that roughhousing wouldn't kill or maim Skeppy, so he can get away with teasing his friend scott free. 

"Simp behavior, if you ask me," Skeppy says, smiling mischievously at his friend. 

"Oh, that's it," Bad growls. "Once we get home I am going to pull the biggest prank on you." Skeppy smiles wider at the promise of  _ some _ sort of fun while he's unable to transform back into his safer form. For now, though, there are larger problems at hand. 

"Seriously though, I need shoes," Skeppy says, frowning down at his bare feet as though the force of his stare alone will somehow conjure some diamond boots onto his feet. Bad frowns. 

"Hm... okay. If I go to find a mob with boots on, you have to stay behind me, okay?" Bad says, making it clear that he wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Skeppy nods firmly, making sure Bad knows he has no intention of messing around when Bad's attention is divided. 

Bad must sense the seriousness on Skeppy's face because he seems satisfied that Skeppy isn't going to run into the trees the moment the demon turns his back. 

__________

True to his word, Skeppy follows Bad as he slinks through the underbrush, remarkably quiet for a creature of his size. There are several minutes of silence as Bad sinks deeper and deeper into the focus of the hunt, only punctuated by the crunching of dead leaves underfoot. 

The silence persists until Skeppy hears rustling in the bushes. Bad doesn't seem to register the slight noise, still watching for movement, but Skeppy stills, looking around. 

The rustling moves closer to him, and Skeppy feels nervousness coil in his gut. He turns back to Bad and realizes with a sting of dread that the demon is nowhere to be found. 

Somehow, in the moment Skeppy had turned away, Bad had managed to slink away, out of his sight. Skeppy opens his mouth, preparing to call the demon back to him, but snaps it shut before he manages to make any noise. 

Perhaps shouting out his location in a forest full of potential hostile mobs is not the greatest of ideas. Skeppy backs up, away from where he had heard the rustling, arms drawing up to his chest, his body instinctively trying to protect the vital organs inside. 

Skeppy was never the best at focusing, but when people gave him  _ important _ information he at least made an effort to listen. When he was young he had been told that if he ever gets lost he needs to stay in one spot and wait for help, that walking around would only get him more lost. 

So Skeppy freezes in place. 

Sure, he may not exactly be  _ thrilled _ that he's alone in the jungle in a  _ much _ weaker form than he's used to, but he trusts Bad to find him. The last thing either of them needs is for Skeppy to wander off and fall off a cliff or get tangled in vines. So, for all these reasons and more, Skeppy stays put. 

It's incredibly hard to do so. His instinct, when put in any sort of high-stress situation, is to fight or flee. Usually, fight, but he stands no chance in a fight right now, with no weapons or armor. Hell, he's not even wearing shoes! Running would only sink him further into the mess he's gotten himself into, but staying still feels like torture. Especially when he knows that Bad is going to be beside himself with worry once he realizes that Skeppy is no longer behind him. 

Skeppy's plans to be responsible and wait for Bad are ground to an abrupt halt when he hears a groaning behind him. Skeppy whips around just in time to see a zombie lurch for him, arms outstretched and mouth gaping. Skeppy bares his teeth in a wince at the smell of the rotting creature and tries to sidestep it to escape the small clearing he is stands in. The zombie's hand grabs his wrist, yellowed fingernails digging into his skin painfully, though they're thankfully not sharp enough to break skin thanks to his thick hoodie. Skeppy tries to tug his arm out of the creature's grip, but the monster holds on tight and lunges for his throat. 

Skeppy moves as quickly as he can, jutting forward and slamming his head into the zombie's neck. Unfortunately, he couldn't move fast enough to stop the zombie from sinking its teeth into his skin, though thankfully he managed to dodge a bite to the throat, which surely would have killed him. Skeppy howls in pain as the zombie's teeth are ripped out of his shoulder, taking chunks of his flesh with it. Skeppy finally manages to shake off the mob and shoulder checks it into the ground, putting all his weight on its windpipe. 

The zombie scrambles underneath him, but Skeppy refuses to let up, only standing when the zombie stops moving. Skeppy rushes out of the clearing, knowing that the zombie wouldn't stay down for very long. Killing that thing without a weapon would be downright impossible, especially if more showed up. He has to find Bad  _ now _ . Fuck staying in one place, that was advice for people on a peaceful world, and Dream SMP is anything but. 

Skeppy runs, heedless of the cuts he is no doubt getting on his feet, eager to outpace any hostile mob that may be alerted by his presence. He manages to keep a pretty good pace- all things considered- before the rough terrain finally catches up to him and his foot gets caught on a root. 

Skeppy falls hard, smashing his face into the packed dirt and seeing stars bloom behind his eyelids. He brings his hands up to his face, not surprised when he starts tasting blood. He winces when he registers the hot, striking pain against his ankle. He really hopes he hasn't broken it, then Bad might actually have to try his baby sling idea. 

He barely gets to compartmentalize what parts of him were injured in his fall when he hears shuffling behind him. Skeppy flips onto his back, holding himself up on his elbows, sucking in a terrified breath when he sees a creeper shuffling towards him, hissing quietly. 

Skeppy runs through every option at his disposal. He can’t run, he doesn't have a shield or any sort of armor. He definitely can't shift back to his gem form in time to avoid the blast. The creeper swells with white light, and Skeppy brings an arm up to cover his face, though he knows it'll do no good. 

He hopes Bad doesn't feel  _ too _ guilty. On the bright side, Bad is going to be fussing over him for the foreseeable future if he dies, so he'll be treated like a king. 

He still doesn't want to die. He doesn't want Bad to have to walk home by himself. He doesn't want Bad to wait a few agonizing days for him to return as Skeppy had for him, sitting by his bedside and waiting for him to reform fully. 

Skeppy closes his eyes. 

He's no coward, but who in their right mind faces death head-on?

Barely a moment passes before there is a growl, loud and  _ furious _ , and then a sickening  _ crunch _ . Skeppy's eyes fling open despite himself, curiosity winning over. 

Bad is standing over him like an avenging angel- which Skeppy sees the irony of, a diamond sword sunk deep into the ground in the remains of the creeper that had nearly taken Skeppy's first life. Honestly, though- the sword is a little overkill. Bad had crushed the poor thing into practically nothing, it was quite clearly dead the moment Bad showed up. The demon's gaze snaps to Skeppy, eyes still wild with rage, steam coming from his mouth. All that softens when he sees Skeppy, though, and he lets go of the sword and rushes him, scooping him up into a gentle hug and burying his face in his uninjured shoulder. 

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness," Bad breathes. Skeppy can feel the demon's arms trembling where they wrap around him. "Oh my  _ goodness _ , Skeppy. I'm so glad you're okay." 

Burning tears drip onto the back of his neck, and Skeppy takes a moment to be surprised at how hot Bad's tears are. The demon had cried on him before, of course, he is a very emotional man, but he had never been able to feel the temperature in his other form. 

Skeppy shakes himself back into the present. His friend needs him right now. Skeppy pats Bad's shoulder, leaning into the demon's hug. 

"Are you okay, Bad?" Skeppy asks. Bad leans out of the hug, sniffling and looking like Skeppy had lost his mind. 

"Am I-  _ Skeppy _ ! Are  _ you _ okay?" Bad asks, though he doesn't wait for an answer. "I turned around and you were  _ gone _ ! I heard you yell like you were hurt and I tr-tried to retrace my steps but- but there was a zombie and blood on the ground and-and I thought-" Bad pauses to take a shuddering breath. "I thought I couldn't keep my promise. I thought I lost you." 

There are a few seconds of silence where they just hold each other, rocking back and forth slightly as Bad sniffles into Skeppy's hair. Eventually Bad pulls away, and Skeppy has to bite his tongue to stop himself from whining at the loss of contact. He's humiliated himself quite enough today, thank you very much. Bad wipes a few tears and smiles tiredly at Skeppy, though his gaze twitches into concern when he finally processes Skeppy's bloody nose and wounded shoulder. His clawed hand flicks upward to cup Skeppy's face, checking to make sure the bleeding has stopped. Bad leans his face forward to wipe the wet blood off of Skeppy's face with his hoodie sleeve. Skeppy doesn't stop the demon's ministrations. The blood will blend in with the fabric anyway, and he'd rather not walk around with a face full of dried blood all day. 

Once Bad is satisfied that Skeppy is as clean as he's gonna get, he shifts a bit, pulling something out of his bag. Skeppy smiles fondly when he sees it's a pair of worn leather boots. Bad throws them into his lap triumphantly. 

"On the bright side," Bad says, smiling. "That zombie that attacked you had boots on." Skeppy levels Bad with a look. 

"Bad..." He drawls. "If I went back to that clearing would there still be a zombie there?" 

"I thought it killed you!" Bad says defensively. "I may have gone… a little overboard." 

"The clearing looks like a horror movie doesn't it?" Skeppy asks, leaning back in Bad's lap while Bad cleans and bandages his shoulder. The demon covers his face, embarrassed. 

"Oh come  _ on _ ! You would have done the same thing!" 

Bad goes to stand up, and his brows furrow in concern when Skeppy makes no effort to get to his feet, instead lying mostly supine, torso propped up by his elbows. Skeppy giggles nervously. 

"About that..." He says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I may have… brokenmyankle." Skeppy finishes in a rush. Bad's face goes carefully blank before he leans down to inspect the younger man's leg. Skeppy wants to laugh at how gently Bad is treating him, but he  _ really _ doesn't want to jostle Bad and risk hurting his ankle further. 

Bad leans back after a minute of prodding at the swelling appendage with a contemplative frown on his dark face. 

"Well, it's definitely broken. We have regen pots at home, but there is no way you're going to be able to walk back without breaking it further." Bad says, already rummaging through his bag for more first aid supplies. 

"Well, I guess you'll have to leave me in the woods," Skeppy sighs forlornly, getting a glare from Bad as he binds his ankle. "To rot here alone. I really didn't think you were that cruel, Bad." 

Bad ties off the bandages and rolls his eyes. 

"Hush. How do you want to be carried?" Bad asks. Skeppy groans, lying back down on the leaf mulch of the forest floor. 

"Whichever way will leave me with the most dignity," Skeppy groans to the sky. 

"Baby hold it is then," Bad teases, though honestly; Skeppy would prefer it to being slung over Bad's shoulder like a potato sack, and he's too tall to be tucked into his friend's coat as he would normally prefer. Skeppy sighs, resigning himself to his fate of humiliation, and holds out his arms in an invitation for Bad to lift him up. 

Skeppy chooses to ignore the way Bad's tail wags excitedly when he opens his arms, for both of their sakes. 

____________________

Honestly, being carried is not  _ that _ terrible. Bad is strong enough that Skeppy knows he'll be able to carry him without dumping Skeppy onto the forest floor, and it's not like there's anyone else around to make fun of him for being in the bridal hold with his best friend. 

They walk for a few hours like that. Skeppy even manages to nod off a few times, though he is always teased relentlessly by Bad when he wakes up again. Skeppy is forced to return to full consciousness, however; when the two of them come upon a river.

Usually, when Skeppy was in his gem form he would just walk along the bottom of the river, holding his breath. He couldn't exactly float because of the whole 'being made of diamond' thing, but he  _ is _ really good at holding his breath. Bad would just swim across, though he only ever learned to doggy paddle. It's not like there was much use for learning how to swim in the Nether. 

Now though, Skeppy wouldn't be able to walk along the riverbed. The solution is pretty obvious, Skeppy is going to have to climb onto Bad's back while he's in the water and hang on to his horns while Bad swims across. 

Skeppy is more nervous about falling into the water than anything else. He knows Bad will fish him out if he does, but he still  _ really _ doesn't feel like getting water up his nose after everything else that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. 

It goes pretty smoothly, all things considered; if you don't count Bad pretending to start sinking in the water to scare Skeppy. Once the two of them are out of the water Skeppy slides off of Bad's back, careful not to put pressure on his bad ankle. Bad shakes himself off like a dog, spattering Skeppy with water and making him shriek.

"Ugh!" Skeppy groans, wiping the water off of his face. "You smell like a wet dog!"

A mischievous smile spreads across Bad's face, and Skeppy starts to back up hesitantly. The demon rushes him, arms outstretched, and Skeppy barely has time to shriek out his protests before his friend is wrapped around him, completely soaking his clothes. Skeppy struggles in his grip, whining loudly. Bad eventually lets him go, but not before messing up his hair. Skeppy scowls and does his best to fix it, but after a night in the jungle, it's kind of a lost cause. 

"There," Bad says smugly. "Now we both smell like wet dogs." 

"You are such an  _ ass _ ," Skeppy whines, making Bad gasp, offended. 

"Skeppy! Language! Unless you wanna walk home on your broken ankle you'd better take it back!" 

Skeppy immediately contorts his face into a pout, widening his eyes. 

"Bad... would you really leave me out here all alone?" He asks, injecting all the patheticness he can muster into his voice. "After you  _ promised _ you would protect me?" 

It works like a charm. Though Bad's arms stay crossed Skeppy can see the hesitance on his face and the way he's twitching with the barely restrained urge to pick Skeppy up. 

"Mrrr... _ FINE _ !" Bad says eventually, leaning down to lift Skeppy back into a bridal carry. "But only because I don't want to waste our regen potions on you!" Skeppy throws his arms in the air in celebration. 

"Hooray!" 

________________

Once they cross the river, they're only a few miles out from home, something that has both of them sighing in relief. The sun is making its way steadily down the sky, but if they keep the pace that they are now they should make it back to the mansion just in time. 

Bad keeps an eye on the sky to make sure that no phantoms are spawning while Skeppy tries not to nod off at the soothing motion of being carried. Bad flicks his forehead a couple of times to wake him, which Skeppy grumbles at. 

"You can sleep when we get home," Bad admonishes lightly. "We're not far, and I'm doing all the work anyway." 

Skeppy groans miserably at being awakened but tries his best to keep his eyes open all the same. He's not feeling like being  _ too _ much of a pain in the ass right now, considering Bad has lugged him for who knows how many miles, and he doesn't want to make him carry his dead weight all the way back. 

"Puh- _ lease _ ," Skeppy says around a yawn. "This form probably feels like a bag of grapes to you," Bad looks down at him with a wry look that tells Skeppy he hit the nail on the head. 

"Well," Bad says, voice light and teasing. "You  _ are _ a lot lighter like this." 

Skeppy scoffs and smacks his friend on the arm. Bad threatens to drop him, but of course, he doesn't, and after only a few more minutes of walking, they reach the mansion. 

Bad sets him down at the door, though he allows Skeppy to lean most of his weight on him. 

"I am not carrying you through the door," Bad says, his blush almost imperceptible in the low light. 

"Yeah, we'll save that for our wedding night," Skeppy says nonchalantly, clapping Bad on the shoulder and walking into the blessedly cool air of the mansion, ignoring the demon's flustered sputtering behind him.

Skeppy collapses onto the couch while Bad goes to find a regen pot, feeling the heavy blanket of sleep begin to weigh down on him. He isn't able to drift off completely, though, before Bad bursts back into the room, holding a bright purple-pink potion above his head like a trophy. 

The demon's smile falters when he sees Skeppy half passed-out on the couch. 

"Geez, you really are out of it." Bad mutters, pressing a hand to Skeppy's forehead to check for a fever and finding nothing out of the ordinary. He shakes the human awake. Skeppy groans in protest, flopping an arm over his eyes to block out the light. Bad chuckles and moves his friend's arm. 

"C'mon 'Geppy. Just drink this and then you can go to bed." Bad promises. Skeppy glares at him from under his arm before opening his mouth. Bad rolls his eyes at his friend's blatant laziness but tips the bottle down his throat carefully all the same. 

________________

Regen pots feel warm as they go down. And fizzy. In a good way. The flavor is fruity but unclear. Whatever the taste, Skeppy enjoys it. He doesn't often like having to use regen pots, but that was more by association. It's generally a pleasant experience all around, other than the fact that he was usually hurting when he drank them.

Bad shoves his shoulder once again to try to get him up. 

"Skeppy, I've been carrying you around all day. Your ankle's better now, you gotta walk to your room." Bad says exasperatedly. Skeppy shoots his friend a pout but the demon doesn't budge. Skeppy sighs in defeat and pushes himself to his feet. 

"Fine, fine. Be like that." Skeppy says, too tired to think of something funny to say. Bad watches him leave but makes no move to follow, and Skeppy tries to swallow down the disappointment at the realization. 

He opens his door and stares into his room. It's messy. The sheets are rumpled and there's paper and clothes on the ground. It's not like he's had the ability to do much more than lay around this past week. 

Skeppy takes a breath, strange nervousness bubbling up in his chest. He...doesn't want to shift back quite yet. He wants to sleep in his warm, human form one last time. 

But this isn't about him. 

This is for Bad. 

So Skeppy tenses, biting back small groans of pain as restrictive diamond curls up his body, cooling anywhere it touches. His body shrinks down and he gets heavier. His clothes begin to pool around him embarrassingly once again, and finally, the worst part of the process. The diamond stretches its greedy fingers up to his face, to his ears, his eyes, his nose, his mouth- and suddenly it's like Skeppy is looking through blue cloth. The clean smell of linen is gone, the darkness of the room completely penetrating, the feeling of his clothes scratching gently at his arms is gone. The sudden lack of sensation makes his head spin, but there isn't anything to be done about it now. The worst is over. 

Skeppy lies down in bed, not bothering to pull the blankets up around him. He can't produce body heat anyway. He sighs. He's kinda gonna miss being human, even after everything that's happened. The edges of his head dig into the mattress uncomfortably, and Skeppy resists the urge to throw his pillow across the room in frustration. 

It's fine. It's not about him. 

Anything for Bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading as always! If you enjoyed this please leave a comment! It's a great way to ensure quicker updates wink wink. Seriously, though! Thank you everyone for your nice comments!!!!
> 
> YOU'RE THE BEST


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapters a bit shorter than the others but that's because the last one was SOO LONG
> 
> No warnings for this chapter, 'cept a little bit of blood.

Skeppy can’t sleep. 

This comes as no surprise to him. Honestly, he would be shocked if he got more than a few moments of shut-eye after the day he's had. One would think he'd be exhausted after the stress of it all, and that's true, he is. 

Exhaustion doesn't lead to sleep. Not for him. Not in this body. 

Skeppy is cold in a way he hadn't noticed before. The blankets won't help, he really only uses them because everyone else does. He is acutely aware of the way his body presses into his mattress. It feels  _ wrong _ . Skeppy brings his hands up to his arms. Even if he can't provide his own warmth there must be  _ some _ comfort in a hug, even just from his own arms. 

His fingers make a small  _ 'clink' _ noise when they touch his skin, and that's the breaking point. Skeppy sits up with a huff, putting his face in his hands and trying to steady his breathing. 

This is stupid. 

Nothing is going to hurt him in his own home, and he does  _ not _ want a repeat of yesterday. He's going to need to shift back eventually, and it's better to do it in the mansion where there are walls and a ceiling and his best friend only a few rooms away. 

Skeppy nods to himself firmly, taking a breath and letting go of the tension that fills him. 

His body starts to warm up, that's the first change, and that makes Skeppy smile slightly. His hands begin to soften and elongate, the blue color fading to a pale brown. 

That's as far as he gets before a crash sounds from outside and his diamond skin returns like a snapped rubber band. He sits up straighter with a stuttering gasp, the surprise at being startled out of his transformation taking his breath away. He scrambles to his feet and rushes to the window, nearly tripping over the blanket tangled around his leg. 

It's Tommy and Tubbo, Skeppy realizes with a relieved sigh. They had been sneaking around the property for  _ some _ reason, but that could be dealt with in the morning, and one of them- presumably Tommy, had knocked over a trashcan. 

The blond is being dragged away from the remains of Skeppy and Bad's garbage by a nervous-looking Tubbo, who is glancing around him as though Bad may appear behind him at any second. Which- given the demon's eccentricities, is entirely possible. 

Skeppy relaxes against the windowsill, putting a hand to his face and taking a breath. That's annoying, but not dangerous. 

He takes another, deeper breath and tries to relax back into the transformation. 

Nothing happens. 

There is no tingling warmth and feeling spreading back into his limbs, no elongating and lightening. Skeppy stares down at his hands, unchanged. He closes his hands into fists and ignores the way they shake. He tells himself it's with frustration.

He knows there's no danger. He  _ knows _ that. His stupid body just hasn't seemed to have gotten the message. Skeppy swallows, his throat dry and his eyes burning irritatingly. He swipes at his eyes with his hoodie sleeve, cursing himself. 

"Fuck this," He sighs, instinctively waiting for Bad's reprimand. It doesn't come, of course. Bad is asleep, surely exhausted after an entire day of looking after his sorry ass. 

He pushes himself to unsteady feet and walks towards his bedroom door. If he can't sleep he might as well get some water. He opens the door as quietly as he can, walking down the hallway, resenting the way his bare feet click against the quartz. 

He reaches the kitchen, resolutely looking anywhere but his own body, and makes his way to the sink. He fills a glass with water and drains it quickly before refilling it. He sits on the floor and sips it until it's empty. Skeppy sets the cup beside him and sighs, sinking his head into his hands, knees pulled up to his chest, making him look as small as possible. He really hates this. 

_______________

Skeppy must have fallen asleep, because when he opens his eyes Bad is shaking his shoulder with a concerned expression painted across his dark face. 

"Hey Skeppy," Bad says softly. Skeppy hums, rolling his shoulders. 

"Hi Bad," Skeppy responds around a yawn. 

"Why are you sleeping on the kitchen floor?" Bad asks hesitantly. Skeppy shrugs. 

"I don't know. Why are you up?" Skeppy says, making Bad frown at the nonanswer. 

"I had a nightmare," Bad replies, sitting next to him. "I went to check on you and you weren't there. I got worried." 

"Sorry," Skeppy hums, not lifting his head from his knees. He means it. 

"Don't apologize," Bad admonishes gently, setting a hand on his head. "Now tell me why you're on the floor." 

"Couldn't sleep," Skeppy admits, too tired to think of a lie. Bad pulls him into his lap, wrapping him in a sleepy hug. It's tighter now, more sure of himself. 

"I'm glad you're okay," Bad mutters. Skeppy pats his shoulder. 

"Did you dream about me?" He asks. Bad nods against his shoulder. Skeppy doesn't need to ask what the dream was about. He remembers the way Bad trembled against him when he found him about to be killed. He still has marks from where the zombie tore into him, potions notwithstanding. 

"I'm not going anywhere," Skeppy promises, and Bad relaxes further. 

"I know," He says quietly. 

They sit in silence for a while longer, just holding each other on the kitchen floor, rocking back and forth gently. Skeppy speaks after a while. 

"Can I sleep in your room?" He asks any embarrassment he once would have felt about asking that long gone. Bad has seen him make more of a fool of himself. Bad hums contentedly. 

"I would prefer if you did." He says, and then stands, though thankfully he sets Skeppy on the floor instead of picking him up and carrying him.

They walk to Bad's room in silence, both too tired to speak. When they reach the white door of the demon’s bedroom Bad turns to look at him.

"You know, if you couldn't sleep you could have come to me," Bad says, his white stare pinning him down. "You don't even have to ask." 

"I'm pretty sure if I end up in your bed without asking I’d have ulterior motives," Skeppy says, smirking at the flustered look on Bad's face. The demon ignores him, pushing open his door and slinking inside. 

Bad buries himself in his multitude of blankets, wrapping them around his head. He always slept with  _ way _ too many blankets, even in the summer. Skeppy chalks it up to him being raised in the Nether. Skeppy chuckles at his friend’s antics and moves to stand at the foot of his bed. Bad looks at him expectantly. Skeppy takes a grounding breath and climbs into bed next to the demon. At least he'll be warm here. 

As Skeppy tries to wrestle a few blankets away from Bad before his eyes catch on a book on his bedside table. Skeppy gives up on fighting for blankets and reaches over to grab the book. Bad notices and tries to snatch it back, but Skeppy quickly dodges off the bed, out of reach of Bad's long arms. 

"Gemfolk and Gemfolk-Human Shifting?" Skeppy reads out, giving Bad a quizzical look. "When did you get this?" 

"I had it," Bad says, finally managing to untangle himself from his blanket fort and snatching the book back from Skeppy. "I bought a bunch of books on Gemfolk when I moved in. It was only fair, you learned a bunch about wither demons for me." 

Skeppy hums, crawling back into bed. 

"What did the book say?" Skeppy asks, trying to hide his nervousness behind indifference. It doesn't work. 

"It said... well, it said that most Gemfolk-Human shifters sleep in their human forms and that there can be health detriments if they don't," Bad says quietly, his stare accusing and more upsetting- worried. Skeppy shrugs, not looking at his friend. 

"Well, I guess I'm not most Gemfolk, then," Skeppy says bitterly, crossing his arms. Bad makes a sad noise in the back of his throat and pulls Skeppy into a hug. The shifter relaxes into the hold against his will, letting out a small sigh.

He's so tired. 

"Skeppy," Bad says quietly, voice laden with sadness. " _ ℸ ̣ ∷ᒷᔑᓭ⚍∷ᒷ _ , you can't keep doing this to yourself." 

Skeppy would usually make fun of him for letting the sappy nickname slip out, but he can't bring himself to do so. Not when the moment they sit in is so raw. 

"It's safer like this," Skeppy defends weakly. "I don't want anything to happen." 

Bad tucks his chin on top of Skeppy's head. 

"Skeppy," He breathes. "Please. I know it's scary, okay? I can't  _ imagine _ how I would feel if I were you, but- just,  _ please _ . I can't stand to see you hurting like this." Bad sounds close to crying, lighting a spark of guilt in Skeppy's gut. "When we were in the jungle you- you seemed so much... _ lighter _ . You were smiling so much more. Even when you broke your ankle, you seemed happier." 

Bad pulls away so he's looking Skeppy in the eyes. The demon's face is streaked with tears. 

"You can't keep  _ doing _ this to yourself." He says, holding Skeppy by the shoulders. Skeppy swallows thickly. 

"It's for you," He defends weakly, and Bad sighs, leaning forward and touching their foreheads together. "I do this because I love you." 

"Skeppy. Seeing you suppress yourself like this is awful. I hate it so much, and if I could take the pain from you, I would do it." Bad pulls away for a second time. "I love you," Bad says, choked up. "I  _ love _ you. I love every version of you. I love you as a Gemfolk and I love you as a human. You deserve to feel safe- you deserve to  _ be _ safe. Please," Bad takes a shaky breath and closes his eyes. "Let me make you feel safe." 

Skeppy nods, too close to tears to speak. He takes a deep breath and waits for the transformation to take hold. For a moment, nothing happens, and Skeppy is terrified that he's not going to be able to do it. That he's stuck in this awful, restrictive form. 

Then, Bad puts a warm hand on his back. 

"You can do it," Bad mutters, sweet as honey. "I'm here. I'll protect you."

Something in Skeppy breaks, and tears start to fall as the transformation begins.

The diamond starts to recede, being replaced by soft, smooth skin. Bad rubs a hand up and down his arms, bringing feeling back into them. Skeppy shudders at the sensations, leaning into Bad's hold, holding onto the front of his jacket, trying to ground himself through the disorientation of switching forms. Bad holds onto him too, rocking him back and forth and singing something softly, though Skeppy can't focus enough to make out what he's singing. 

When it's over, Skeppy goes limp in Bad's arms, panting slightly from exertion. He feels Bad press a kiss to the top of his head and Skeppy laughs tiredly, turning to face his friend. He opens his mouth to make fun of Bad, but no sound gets out before the demon's mouth is on his. 

Skeppy blinks in surprise, not managing to start kissing back before Bad pulls away, covering his face and looking terrified and guilty. 

"Oh my goodness," He breathes. "I'm  _ so _ sorry, I shouldn't have- I should have asked!" Bad says. "You just- I was so  _ worried _ about you- and after the creeper thing I started  _ thinking- _ " 

Skeppy cuts off his rambling by grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him into a kiss. Bad makes a surprised noise into his mouth that makes Skeppy smile, and then there is a gentle, warm hand on his face, holding him steady. They sit like that for a while, only pulling apart to breathe. 

The kissing is unceremoniously cut short when there is another crash outside and then a shout of annoyance that is unmistakably Tommy, and Bad jolts upwards in surprise. One of the demon's fang teeth catches on Skeppy lip, and he curses quietly, his hand shooting to his mouth. Bad doesn't notice, darting to the window and throwing it open. 

"Get off our lawn!" Bad bellows into the night air. Skeppy hears the two teenagers shriek with terror and scamper off. Bad turns back around with a huff. The demon immediately gasps in horror when he sees Skeppy covering his mouth with a hand, surely not missing the blood that has dripped onto the sheets. 

Skeppy curses his... his Bad's night vision. Bad darts over to him, pulling his hand away from his mouth and clucking worriedly at the injury. It's small, but with the way his blood had been rushing to his face, it's bleeding quite a lot. 

"Oh  _ shoot _ ," Bad mutters, taking Skeppy's face in careful hands. "I'm sorry ‘Geppy! I didn't mean to-" 

Skeppy kisses him again, this time just to shut him up, and Bad melts into the kiss instantly, large, clawed hands not leaving his face. When Bad pulls away he makes a face and wipes the blood off of his mouth. 

"Gross." He says, making Skeppy roll his eyes. Bad grabs a healing potion from one of his many stashes and beckons Skeppy to lean in. Skeppy does. 

Bad is remarkably gentle as he drips the healing potion onto the cut. Skeppy frowns at the stinging, and Bad mutters out an apology. The pain fades as the small wound knits itself together. Skeppy leans in to kiss Bad for the third time, but Bad leans away. Skeppy whines, kicking his feet in a mock tantrum. 

"Come  _ on _ ," Skeppy says, falling backward onto the bed. "You  _ literally _ just kissed me so hard I started bleeding." 

"Wha- That is  _ not _ why you were bleeding!" Bad defends, flustered. "My fang cut you! I'm still sorry about that, by the way." 

"Apology not accepted until you give me more kisses," Skeppy says, and Bad rolls his eyes and gives him a quick peck on the lips. 

"There, happy?" Bad asks, crossing his arms. 

"Very," Skeppy says smugly. "Can we keep making out now?" 

"Wha- NO! You need  _ sleep _ !" Bad squawks. Skeppy is about to continue the argument, but Bad wraps his arms around him tightly, though not enough to hurt him, and wrestles him under the blankets, never once letting go of him. 

Skeppy struggles, though it's mostly just for show, before finally relaxing against Bad's chest. Bad's hand snakes up to his head and tangles in his hair, the tips of his claws gently scratching his scalp. Skeppy melts at the contact, sighing deeply. 

"You'd better not drool on me," Bad mutters, warm breath ruffling Skeppy's hair. Skeppy resists the urge to open his mouth and threaten the demon with drool. 

"Don't tell me what to do," Skeppy mutters sleepily. "I'll drool on you if I want to." 

"Go to bed," Bad says, and Skeppy can hear the smile in his voice. "I'll keep you safe." Skeppy can feel Bad's arms pressing against his back, holding him fast against his chest. He won't be hurt. Not now, not with Bad watching over him. Their dynamic has changed tonight, but Skeppy always knew it would when Bad found out he’s a shifter. Sure maybe he didn’t think it would change  _ this  _ much, but it’s not like he’s complaining. Oh well, they can talk about it in the morning.

Bad presses a kiss to the top of his head, humming quietly. Skeppy drifts off to the rumbling song in Bad's chest and his slow, steady breathing. 

He’s never felt safer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that wraps this one up! The galactic says 'treasure' in case you didn't wanna google it. 
> 
> also for anyone curious the title is the equation to calculate the fracture toughness in diamond :)
> 
> remember to comment!! I love comments they make me so happy!! And if you have a friend that likes skephalo or who you want to trick into liking skephalo send them this!! 
> 
> YOU'RE THE BEST!!
> 
> (also if you want to contact me you can find me on tumblr @ratspleen)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! If you liked this go check out my other stuff, or you can check out my tumblr @ratspleen or my Twitter @rat_spleen!
> 
> Leave a comment if you liked it! Absolutely makes my day and costs 0 dollars. A steal of a deal if you ask me.


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